The first three areas in the United States to form into states were located in New Sweden in 1787.They were Delaware on December 7th, Pennsylvania on December 12th, and New Jersey on December 18th.

Deere's New Sweden

This souvenir book, copyrighted in 1889, belonging to Emil O. Deere, contains the 1638 story of the first Swedish settlement in America located in an area which would be known as New Sweden. The 70 page book would be created in 1888 by the Swedes of Minnesota as a result of their 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of New Sweden.

How and when Deere came by this book is unknown, for he was only eleven years old at the time of this 250th anniversary. Yet, most likely he treasured it, read it, and used it as a way to understand this Swedish legacy in America. More than likely a few other Swedes in Lindsborg and at Bethany College had this book as well.

To learn, what Deere learned, about these first Swedes in America landing on a shore of a piece of land that would eventually be known as part of the state of Delaware, and to learn about the other Swedes in Minnesota celebrating these Swedes of the East, in their own words, scroll down to read the entire book.

For Deere, this account would eventually come in handy when Lindsborg was called upon in 1937, as were Swedish communities all over America, to help celebrate the 300th New Sweden anniversary celebration in 1938.In this 300th, aka tercentenary, celebratory venture, for the state of Kansas, Deere's boss, Swedish American Bethany College president Dr. Rev. Ernst F. Pihlblad would represent the Central Committee of the National Campaign Committee Organization of the Swedish American Tercentenary Association for the Swedes of Kansas. Below in the left column of the document is Pihlblad's name and Kansas below it.

Pihlblad would in turn assign Emil O. Deere the task of seeing this event through for the College.